The Lying Game
by sethra-lavode
Summary: Azula's mysterious intrusion on the Gaang shocks everyone, but when she appears to have no where else to go, they grudgingly take her in. The group remains hesitant to accept the Princess, and while she hasn't caused much trouble so far, they can't help wondering what she's actually playing at. (some Sokkla but mainly Azula/Gaang centric)
1. Prologue

**_Prologue: Before Day of Black Sun_**

Zuko woke to the sound of muffled whimpers. A glance towards the window told him it was early morning, too early for even the songbirds to be up, and he groaned. It was the fourth time this week his precious sleep time was cut into by her but better tears than screams. For a moment, he considered staying in bed. Maybe she'd be okay…or maybe she'd set fire to the sheets like last time.

"Why," he muttered, "are these walls so damned thin?" Not even bothering to throw on a shirt, he hurried to the room beside his and knocked lightly on the door. "You okay?" A muffled response. Definitely an improvement from lightning. "I'm coming in." He pushed the door open and was greeted by an eerily moonlit silhouette.

"Zuzu?" She looked so small without all that armour protecting her, and her gaunt body was nearly swallowed up by the massive bed and lush blankets.

"Another nightmare?" He edged closer, careful to keep his movements as unthreatening as possible. With her hair in a tangled mess and eyes still a little damp, she looked like his baby sister again, not that vicious monster who took down the Avatar. He thought back to when she was still too young to talk properly, waddling after him with a big grin on her face. What happened to that little girl? "Go back to sleep. I'm here now, Azula."

"I can't."

"Try anyway, yeah?" Zuko tucked her in before awkwardly kissing her forehead, hoping desperately it was the right thing to do. Apparently it was, and she let out a soft sigh.

"Stay until I fall asleep okay?"

"Yeah," he sat down patiently on the edge of the bed, "okay."

* * *

The next morning, Zuko tried his best to hide the disgust boiling in his stomach. Ozai sat eating calmly at the head of the table while Azula merely pushed her food around. There were dark rings under her eyes, and Zuko could have sworn she had lost weight. It was so clear how she was deteriorating under all the duress Ozai pushed on her, but he didn't seem to notice, not to mention care.

"You should eat."

"I'm fine." Azula replied curtly.

The Fire Lord glanced over at his children impassively. "Leave her be, Zuko. As long as she thinks she can carry out her task on an empty stomach, there is no reason for you to be concerned." Turning his head pointedly to her, he added, "You _will_ act as planned, yes?"

She blanched slightly, but her words came out strong. "Of course father."

"Be careful, Azula." Her brother added softly.

"I'm always careful, Zuzu."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The Western Air Temple was specially designed to allow wind in and out of the different chambers. The unique architecture allowed voices to echo quite nicely as well, and the young Avatar's voice rang rather loudly through the open space as he regaled his eager audience of four with stories of the Dragons.

"You should have seen it!" He grinned goodnaturedly, "I gotta say, Zuko's dancing was pretty good."

"I wasn't dancing," the firebender's huffed, face flushed red, "It's an ancient technique. Very serious business, Aang."

"Suuureeee, Sifu Hotman." Turning, Aang hissed loudly at the water tribe boy beside him, "See, Sokka? I told you he wasn't that bad."

Katara winced in embarrassment and offered Zuko a small smile. "Looks like you're fitting in just fine then, huh?"

"I guess. I really do like being part of the Gaang," he admitted, "It's really different. I mean, in a good way." The group looked at him encouragingly though Toph remained preoccupied with picking at her toes. "Uh," he was never really good with friendship speeches, "I'm glad I met you guys…even if it started out with me trying to capture you…which I am sorry about. And I'm sorry about the war and the Fire Nation killing off your loved ones…"

"You forgot the dozen or so times when your sister and her crazy friends tried to off us," Sokka added dryly, "and the part where your sister actually succeeded. Well, mostly succeeded."

"Oh. I'm sorry about that too."

"Haha…okay," Katara broke in, "that's enough happy talk for tonight. But could you guys imagine if Azula actually tried to join us?" She put on her best mean face and pointed her finger threateningly in Sokka's face, "I, Princess Azula, am offering you peasants a once in a lifetime chance of teaming with me and—what's wrong?"

Toph stood up suddenly, hands clenched into tight fists, "There's someone out there."

"Very funny," she threw in an appreciative chuckle, "You're such a riot."

"No really," the earthbender shot back tersely, "I think someone's found us." The mood instantly shifted. Pulling out his trusty space sword, Sokka took the lead and headed straight towards the Temple entrance with Zuko close behind.

Katara fell back, waiting for the others to go on ahead before stopping Aang. "Do you think…?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe you should wait here. Just in case."

"Don't worry," he reached out for her hand, "I'm sure it'll be fine." She nodded, not as optimistic as the boy. Shuddering, she slipped her fingers into his and squeezed them tightly. The chances of the Princess finding them right as they mentioned her seemed slim yet disconcerting. It was like speaking Azula's name had summoned her somehow, and the idea made Katara think of those ghost stories Grangran used to tell about demons being awoken when their name was called.

Still, she followed Aang reluctantly, and the two arrived in time to see a dishevelled Azula standing at the very edge of the temple. She teetered precariously, and Katara thought she was going to fall for sure.

"Speak of the devil." Zuko commented darkly, and her golden irises alighted on him.

"Indeed."

"What," Sokka spat, emphasising each word with a jab of his sword against her battered armour, "do you think you're doing here? And where's your airship?"

Motioning her arms wildly, she laughed, "No airship. No airship at all." The noise sounded alien falling from her lips, and swatting at the blade, she took a shaky step forward.

The sword shot up towards her unprotected throat. "Stop."

"I don't take orders from peasants." Azula gripped the tip and shunted it to the side. If she felt a sting from the sharp blade cutting into her palm, she managed to hide it well and leaned closer.

Zuko quickly moved towards the front and grabbed her by her shoulders. "Answer him. How did you get here?" She pointed at the heavens.

"I flew."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When Azula collapsed altogether, no one was quite sure how to react. Sure, she hadn't pulled out any fancy lightning tricks and zapped them to Kingdom come, but these were trivial details compared to everything else she had already put them through. The Gaang came to a silent consensus that the best course of action would be to continue staring at the unconscious Princess with a sort of bewildered look on their faces.

"Strange coincidence for her to turn up so quickly after you did." Katara glared accusingly at Zuko who stood defensively over his fallen sister.

"What are you trying to say?"

Aang sidestepped her and put on his best peaceful mediator smile. "I think we're all just wondering how she managed to find us. That's all."

"I didn't tell her," Zuko stared the Avatar straight in the eye, "I swear."

"Okay. We believe you."

Sokka snorted. "Who exactly did you mean by 'we'?"

"All of us," the airbender stated solemnly, "If Zuko promises that this doesn't have anything to do with him, then I'll take his word for it. Toph?"

"I don't think he's lying," she shrugged, "but that doesn't mean I want her hanging around. She said she flew in, right? Well, I vote we kick her off the cliff and see what happens!"

"Uh, any other ideas?" Aang looked around hopefully. Sighing, Katara bent down to get a closer look at the Princess only to be shooed aside by a fretting Zuko.

"Spirits, I'm not going to kill her," she scowled, "though I doubt she'd say the same about us."

"Look," Zuko said seriously, "I know you don't like her, and while I'm fairly sure she doesn't like you-"

"Make that pretty damn sure," chimed Sokka.

"She's my sister, and it's still my duty to protect her," he continued, choosing to ignore the wise-ass comment. "Plus, no army. No drills. Not even Ty Lee or Mai. I get that you probably don't trust me still and my word means nothing to you right now, but I don't think this was meant to be an attack. It would be total suicide."

"I told you," Katara sniffed indignantly, "I wasn't going to harm her. She's acting crazier than usual, and I wanted to see what was wrong." A quick survey of Azula revealed a high fever, and Katara grudgingly admitted that they would probably have to take custody of the girl until further notice.

"At least we know she's too sick to attack us!" Aang chirped encouragingly.

"Woo-fucking-hoo," Sokka answered glumly, "Extra hoo. Shouldn't someone keep watch over her at night anyway? Just in case?"

"In case what?" Zuko retorted, "In case she drags herself through the maze of corridors to send her invisible messenger hawk off to Ozai?"

"Hey, you never know."

"Alright meat-head, you do it then." Toph yawned and started nonchalantly back into the Temple, "If you bozos haven't noticed, Azula's not exactly on a rampage right now so I'm going to get some sleep before she actually does feel well enough to fight." Her logic seemed sound enough, and one by one, the others filed in too.

"Good man, Sokka," Aang smiled brightly, "I'm sure we'll all feel safer with you guarding her."

Sokka merely looked horrified. "But…I…what?" Watched desolately as the Gaang headed into their respective chambers, he groaned. "Aw man." Still, a job was a job, and he wasn't one to shirk responsibility. Willing away the exhaustion gnawing at his bones, he attempted to lift Azula up over her shoulder, but the heavy armour proved to be more cumbersome than he expected. Eventually, he admitted defeat and lay her back down. Slowly, he pulled the metal pieces apart, trying his best to be gentle. "You," he told her, "owe me big time."

When he finally managed to have her down to underwear and chest wrappings, he scooped her up proudly and marched back to the room. It wasn't till after he had her covered in blankets with a wet towel on her forehead did he realise how inappropriate all of that had been. Blushing, he shut the door and sat in the corner furthest from the bed. The fact that an unconscious Azula could still make him feel like an idiot was not a pleasant one and knowing he had to be up for the next eight or so hours watching her was no more comforting.

* * *

The sky was slowly turning from an inky black to a soft, velvet blue, and Sokka wasn't sure if Azula was actually stirring or if he was just hallucinating. Eyes still shut, she pushed herself up painfully, and he stood. What was he supposed to do now? Hold her back? Call for the others?

"Come on," his hand hovered around her shoulder, not sure how she would react to his touch, "Lie back down."

She squinted at him obstinately, looking rather fierce for someone who was having a hard time sitting upright. "Hands off, peasant boy." Swinging her legs off the hard bed, she barely managed to suppress a low moan. Her temple throbbed in retaliation; waves of pain lapped at her from shoulders down, but she got up anyway. Stubborn to the very end, her mother used to say: stubborn for stubbornness' sake. Edging along the walls for support, Azula slowly made her way towards the door. It took everything she had just to push it open it, and there was something about her refusal to quit that impressed Sokka. He watched her inch along the corridor and shook his head.

"What are you doing? You're not going to get very far in this state."

"You don't understand," her chest heaved, and he became acutely aware of how thin her chest bindings really were, "I have to go."

" Oh well who am I to disagree with such an eloquent argument?"

Teeth clenched and eyebrows pinched together in concentration, she didn't even bother to look back. Sokka resisted the urge to pat himself on the back for such a witty repartee and returned to his corner. Massaging his sore legs, he figured giving her a head start was the gentlemanly thing to do. With any luck, she'd be passed out a few paces beyond the door, and he wouldn't have to deal with a semi-functional Azula. Sagging against the ground, he gave his eyes a rest. How far could she get in ten minutes?

The answer was far enough.

She really did manage to reach the open entrance of the Temple and lay curled in a ball.

"Wow." Sokka felt a bit guilty taking her back inside given how hard she worked to get outside so he left her there in order to take care of more stringent business—namely his growling stomach.

Halfway through his makeshift breakfast, the others were waking. The first thing they all wanted to know was what in the name of Agni was Azula doing out on the veranda.

"You don't like the way I do things," Sokka grumbled between mouthfuls of food, "then you do it instead."

"Eat or talk," Zuko wiped a fleck of spit off his trousers, "Pick one."

"Is it really okay if we leave her out there?" Katara asked. "Not that I'm being sympathetic, but sick people are usually supposed to stay in bed."

"She's a firebender. The sun will do her good." Zuko replied. "You should really be out there too, Aang."

"Wha—?" Aang scooted away, "Why me?"

"Training to defeat Ozai remember?"

Toph kicked her heel against the earth, and a fist sized boulder shot towards Zuko's head. "Ignore him Twinkletoes. We have to figure out what exactly we're gonna do about that nutcase."

He sighed, "I'm really not sure anymore."

"Well," Toph offered, "here's how I see it." They waited for her to finish the sentence.

"Well?" Zuko demanded.

"Well nothing. I can't see!"

No one laughed.

"Alright, alright," she huffed, "well I figure you've got three choices. Leave her, keep her, or seriously, drop her off—"

"No." The others chorused flatly in unison.

"Then just pick something already!"

Sokka stifled a yawn and fell backwards. "Well I'm completely beat. Why don't you kids hash it out, and let me know when you guys come up with something solid?"

"And where do you think you're going?" Katara crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest. "You're the plan guy remember?

"Nope," he retorted, already on his way to the bedrooms, "Right now, I'm just the tired guy who got zero sleep last night."

* * *

Sometime during the afternoon, Katara stood by Zuko, throat convulsing as if she were going throw up a hair ball. Instead, she managed a forced, "Wake her up and get her some water," before disappearing off with Aang. For the rest of the day, neither Azula nor Sokka got up.

During dinner, Aang waited patiently for Zuko to first get his sister comfortably in bed before bringing up the subject of what to do again. "Do you have any idea why she might be here?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

Katara rolled her eyes. "What does that even mean?

"It's just..." Zuko chose his next few words carefully. "The day of Black Sun, I confronted fa-Ozai. I told him I was leaving and that it was Azula who shot down the Avatar, not me. I also ended up telling him..." He took a deep breath and faced Aang. "I told him that you were still alive. I probably shouldn't have, but I wasn't thinking straight."

"Was he mad?" Katara seemed skeptical. "Would he really go so far as to turn against his precious Azula?"

Zuko's hand involuntarily went up toward his burnt eye. "What do you think?"

"Oh," she kicked herself mentally, "I'm so sorry, Zuko. I didn't-"

"It's fine." He shrugged her off. "She's Ozai's favourite daughter, sure, but you have to understand. He doesn't tolerate failure. Ever."

"And you think that's why she's here?" Katara's eyes softened, and Aang leaned over just enough for his arms to brush against hers.

"I don't think she has anywhere else to go."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Eventually Aang allowed Azula to stay. Zuko made it clear that while he supported the Gaang and would act as the Avatar wished on the day of the Comet, he was not going to abandon his sister. If Azula were to be ousted, then he would leave too. Sokka immediately started on a suspiciously well-prepared farewell speech only to be shushed by Katara.

Toph didn't seem to care much either way. "You're already taking care of her. Just figure out if you wanna keep at it or not."

"Taking care of a sick, unconscious Azula isn't the same as letting her join," Katara corrected quickly, "But we'll respect whatever you decide, whether we like it or not."

Aang made up his mind.

They didn't like it.

* * *

In order to take necessary precautions, the "Adopt an Azula" plan also included immediate relocation. Aang woke early the next morning to start packing, and Katara helped him load the supplies onto Appa's back. It wasn't until they were nearly finished that they noticed her standing by one of the pillars. Water gushed out of Katara's water skins and solidified into several sharp icicles above Azula's head.

"Good morning," Aang made a solid attempt at being friendly, hoping his cheeriness would balance out Katara's blatant threat, "I didn't expect you to be up yet."

"I rise with the sun." Azula replied simply.

"Really? Zuko's never up for the sunrise."

"Zuzu's also mostly useless."

Aang gulped. "Oh. Uh, I should probably go get the others." He motioned for Katara to take back the icicles and retreated into the Temple.

"You might want to get on Appa now." She obediently drew her water back and pulled out a long strip of black cloth, "Unless you wanted to try it blindfolded."

Azula's eyes narrowed slightly as she moved closer, but her face remained hard to read. "You remind of someone I once met. A concubine," slipping behind Katara, she murmured, "she had your eyes. If I didn't already know yours was dead, I would have assumed she was your mother. But who am I to say?" She laughed softly and climbed onto the flying bison. "All you water peasants look the same to me."

The others appeared before Katara could react. Apparently Aang had already warned them of Azula's revived health, and they trooped in warily. Zuko claimed the spot next to his sister, and Sokka sat directly across, boomerang out.

"We'll need to blindfold you now," Katara informed her through clenched teeth.

"Please," Zuko added, placing his hand on Azula's shoulder, "Just in case." He noticed the way she let it rest there for half a breath before shrugging it off, and he nodded at Katara. Eyesight gone, Azula's other senses snapped into overdrive in order to compensate. She could smell the sweat and nervousness lingering on their skin; the vibrations from their fidgeting and their distinct voices allowed her a mental picture of everyone's position. Satisfied, she leaned back, planning on meditating during the ride.

At first, the group did a fairly good job at pretending she didn't exist. The banter didn't last for long, and the topic turned unsurprisingly to her. They persistently asked how she had found them and how she got there, changing the wording creatively as though she'd be sure to answer if they only found the correct format for the question. Her reply continued to be an enigmatic, "I have my ways." The possibility of Zuko revealing their whereabouts was brought up again, however Azula shot it down.

"Why would I ever need Zuzu's help to find you? I've successfully tracked you down before. Why does it come as such a surprise this time?

If Zuko hadn't known any better, he would have thought she was defending him. Perhaps she really was, in her own, strange way, but there was something else bothering him. "What about Mai?"  
Azula felt a familiar twinge in her chest, and she breathed in deeply, pushing the emotion out as she exhaled. Why should she feel jealous of Mai? Moody, stone faced Mai; Azula was obviously superior in every way so why was Zuko's mind so preoccupied with her friend? "What about her?"

"Mai?" Sokka repeated, "That knife-throwing girl?"

"Yeah," Zuko smiled at the thought of her, "she's my girlfriend. Well, ex-girlfriend." Azula almost threw up. Her brother and her friend shoving their tongues down each others' throats was not a pleasant sight.

"You miss her?"

"All the time."

Sokka nodded understandingly. "My first girlfriend turned into the moon."

"That's rough, buddy."

Azula was less sympathetic. "You were _that_ bad?" She arched an eyebrow mockingly. "And Mai could have been worse. She was going to use that old portrait of you two together for target practice, but Ty Lee talked her out of it."

"Where is she now?"

"Where do you think, Zuzu? Home with her family, of course."

"So why didn't you bring them along?" Toph joined in. "You never go anywhere without them."

"This doesn't pertain to them," she shrugged dismissively, "That's all."

Something about the way she looked blindfolded, dark hair freed from the usual stern topknot and wearing Zuko's spare shirt that kept falling down her shoulders made her seem more girlish, more vulnerable. It made Sokka reckless. "You're taking exile pretty well." Azula gave no response beyond her body stiffening, muscles pulled taut and ready. "Or maybe you made a run for it before Ozai could publically humiliate you." Nothing. "Either way, how does it feel to be a commoner on the lam? It must suck to know you screwed up so badly—" She didn't give him a chance to finish.

Lunging forward inhumanly fast, Azula already had one hand wrapped around his throat before anyone even realised what was happening. Her other hand hovered by his forehead, a menacing blue flame shooting from her pointer and middle fingers.

"How dare you place me on the same level as you peasants?" Her lips curled back in a feral snarl. "I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. It's the very pinnacle of my being, and unlike you vermin, there is royal blood running through my veins. Nothing can change that."

"Azula, stop," Zuko said sharply, using his best big brother voice, "let him go. And no bending." To everyone's surprise, the fire was extinguished.

"Of course, Zuzu," releasing her hold on the boy's neck, she smiled sweetly and smashed her fist into his jaw.

* * *

A terse rest of the ride later, Appa landed on the shore of an uninhabited beach. Azula pulled the cloth from her eyes and leapt off. She strode inland, and Sokka glared after her.

"You're going to have to help us unpack," he chucked a bag at her head, "If you're part of the group, you need to pull your weight."

She avoided it deftly. "You're not very bright, are you peasant boy?"

"Sokka," he growled, "My name is Sokka."

"Please," she examined her nails apathetically, "does it look like I care?"

Aang hopped down by the fallen bag and swung it over his shoulder. "Guys, let's try to get along. We kind of have bigger things to worry about. Azula," he puffed out his chest a little as he met her gaze, "I know you're still not feeling that great, but at least set up your own tent, okay?" It felt strange to be talking to her, not to mention ordering her around. This was the girl who took down Ba Sing Se and nearly took him out too. If it weren't for Katara's holy water, she would have succeeded in stopping the entire Avatar cycle. Nonetheless, Aang swallowed his anger and fear. "It would really help."

"Fine," she responded tartly, "just tell your pet monkey to stop aiming for my face." Sokka guiltily lowered the tent he had hoisted up and dropped it in her arms instead. Azula took the bag from Aang too and made her way to flatter ground.

* * *

It was just about sun down when the camp was fully set up. Katara busied herself with dinner, and Toph hung nearby, shooting off unhelpful remarks. The other two boys lounged around the row of tents, and Sokka stared at Zuko's feet uncomfortably.

"Thanks for not letting Azula burn my face off earlier. Speaking of which, where is she anyway? She completely disappeared."

"Yeah, she does that," Zuko explained, "She likes to train at least three times a day—sunrise, mid-noon, and sundown."

"How come you don't do it?"

"I used to. Ozai made us do it as kids. Guess it stuck with her."

Aang looked a little worried, "Shouldn't we go get her? It's almost dinner time."

"She'll be back soon. You probably shouldn't bother her," he warned, but Sokka started for the beach anyway.

"Don't sweat it," the boy joked, "Just send Katara in after me if you hear any screams." He went down looking more confident than he really felt. He arrived in time to see Azula finish her practice with a thick bolt of lightning into the ocean. The water sizzled loudly, and a thin billow of steam blew over the waves.

"What is it?" She asked, still staring at the tide.

"You must really hate oceans."

"I actually quite like them, not that it has anything to do with you."

"Could have fooled me."

Azula rolled her eyes, "Most things could fool you. I suppose I like how steady it is. No matter how much lightning I shoot, the ocean can take it."

"You sound like a waterbender."

"I said I liked its endurance, not the element," she looked positively disgusted at the suggestion, but the expression didn't last long. Limbs sore from the exertion, she fought against the oncoming fatigue and was, to her dismay, losing.

"Let's go back. Dinner's ready, and you shouldn't be pushing your body so hard."

"Your concern is duly noted."

"Trust me, I wasn't concerned," he laughed coldly and headed toward camp, "I just didn't want to have to drag you back."

* * *

Zuko was clearly relieved to see the two return unscathed. He handed them each a plate of food and separated them, none to subtly. Prodding at the goop disdainfully, Azula couldn't bring herself to try it no matter how hungry she was. It was eventually distributed off to Toph and Sokka, and she wondered how long she could survive on just water alone. All in all, things seemed to be going smoothly until Sokka opened his mouth to speak.

"I've already asked you this, but you never really gave a reply." He forced his voice as calm as he could, "Where is Suki exactly?"

"Hmm," Azula's eyes glittered, "that name doesn't ring any bells."

"And I'll wring your neck, now tell me. The girl you mentioned during the Day of Black Sun. Where is she?"

"Girl? You'll have to be a bit more specific."

"You know who I'm talking about."

She was just toying with him now, forcing him to say the word he had been desperately avoiding: prisoner. "I don't recall speaking to you about any girls."

"She's probably at Boiling Rock," Zuko answered instead, "You mean the Kyoshi warrior right? If she's been captured, then she'll probably be Boiling Rock. It's where we keep the more dangerous criminals."

"Please," Katara pleaded, "Don't get any crazy ideas." But his expression told her it was too late for that.

* * *

Normally able to sleep through a platypus-bear stampede, Sokka's own thoughts kept him tossing throughout the night. He went in and out of consciousness, waking at every sound and hardly getting any shuteye. When he heard footsteps outside his tent, Sokka gave up completely, assuming it was Azula running of to do whatever she always did at dawn. As per usual, curiosity got the best of him, and he snuck out a few minutes later. Hiding far behind near some boulders, he watched the firebender stretch out her limbs and hoped things would get more exciting. He was not disappointed.

Her feet barely hit the ground as she passed through an intricate array of kicks and twists, clearly talents learnt from Ty Lee. Cobalt flames whirled around her like so many ribbons, and she practically flew through the air. Her movements were fluid and exact, but they lacked the harshness present when she was in a fight. There were no abrupt blows or broken acrobatic tricks. It went beyond basic martial arts and technique.

Azula was dancing.

Gliding across the sand in one smooth motion, she trailed smoke and vivid fire. White hot lightning crackled on her fingertips, and she drew it from sky to earth. Sokka had met more firebenders on his journey with Aang than he would have liked yet never had he seen such a display like this. Sure, the waterbenders in the North put on a dance for them, but the way she moved with her fire was different. It wasn't until someone toed him in the shin that realised he had been holding his breath.

"Why are you spying on my sister?"

Sokka turned bright red, stuttering. "I—it's not what you think, really!"

"I see." But all Zuko saw was some boy staring at his sister with a scary intensity that he did not approve of. Sokka chuckled nervously and dashed off. Azula hadn't stopped. She didn't seem to have noticed them at all, and Zuko gazed at her in surprise. He actually knew that routine; he was the one who made it up and taught it to her, years ago. Moving closer, he fell in step with her, their movements matching easily. Even the rise and fall of their chests matched. When they finished, she turned away from him but did not leave.

"I can't believe you still remember that," he offered her a goofy, lopsided smile, "You do it better than me now."

"I'm better than you at most everything."

"You always have."

She hadn't expected that. "Not always. You bended first."

"I am older. And you weren't too far behind."

"I remember—" Azula broke off, but Zuko knew what she was thinking. He was thinking it too, thinking about how he was the first to teach her bending.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

With Sozin's Comet arriving in less than 2 weeks, Zuko spent most of his time rigorously training Aang. While the Avatar did learn a lot from time spent with the Dragons, Zuko insisted on drilling him through the basics. From hot-squats to simple posture, Zuko was relentless.

"Why don't you let me play with him for a while?" Azula purred, watching on the sidelines, "I could teach him some more applicable knowledge."

"No." Katara said flatly. "You don't go anywhere near him."

She pressed a hand to her chest and pretended to look hurt, "Why not? If he's going against up against Father, wouldn't it be better for him to have a more skilled teacher?" To Aang's relief, Zuko wasn't too keen on Azula instructing either.

"He has to go through the fundamentals. You of all people should understand the importance of control while bending."

"Perfecting technique and staying calm isn't the same as rigid control," she drawled, "Keep this up, and he's going to be just as bad as you, Zuzu."

He threw his hands in exasperation. "If you have nothing better to do, why don't you bother Sokka instead? He's out in the woods chasing rabbit-squirrels. You like hunting things, right?"

"Hmm," she cupped her chin in her hand thoughtfully, "I suppose I could do with a moving target."

"You better mean the wildlife and not my brother," warned Katara.

The corner of Azula's lips curved up deviously. "I would never dream of it." Brushing off her pants, she was more than a little irked at how dirty they were. She would need a change of clothes soon. Zuzu's spares just weren't cutting it. Wandering out into the forest area, it didn't take long for her to find Sokka and the earthbender girl.

"You," she pointed at her, "leave. One peasant is entertainment enough."

Toph raised her arms and a mound of earth wrapped itself around Azula's legs. "Make me, Princess."

"At least you address me by my proper title," she nodded approvingly, "but I was only told to play nice with the water peasant." A bolt of lightning tore the rock encasement apart, and a pillar of fire propelled her up onto a low branch. "I assume you 'see' using vibrations running through the ground?" She leapt onto another tree and took aim. "So what happens when your opponent is airborne?" Before she could do anything else however, Sokka's boomerang spun towards her, smacking loudly against her arm. Azula's hand shot out and caught the offending object before it could return to its master, but Sokka didn't seem too worried.

"Play nice ladies."

The girls turned on him, "Shut up. Who asked you?"

"Or gang up on me, that works too."

"How do you people put up with him?" Azula jumped nimbly out of the tree and tossed the boomerang over.

"Skill," Toph replied sombrely, "and a lot of practise."

"Okay that's enough harassment for today, thanks. Go hang with the others for a bit," Sokka told her, "You can watch Aang get his butt kicked by Zuko."

"I hope your ass gets kicked." Mumbling curses under her breath, Toph went anyway.

Finally alone with the water tribe boy, Azula leaned in slightly. "You seem a bit tense."

"I prefer the term alert."

"You don't trust me?" She pouted prettily and tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'm wounded."

"I admit it: you're a great actress," he said evenly, "You may be able to fool everyone for now, but eventually, you'll slip up. You'll make a mistake somewhere, and I'll catch you. You can't keep lying forever, Azula."

She cocked her head to the said and surveyed him severely. "I must say, peasant, you're even dimmer than I first thought. You sound just like my fuddy duddy uncle." Prodding his back sharply with her finger, she sent a small jolt down his spine. "If I wanted all of you dead, I would have already killed you in your sleep." She paused for a moment to let what she said sink in, and he furrowed his brow at her. "Anyway, what happened to the squirrel-rabbits?"

"You probably scared them off. Ever hear of indoor voices?" He put a finger to his lips and motioned for her to follow. Sokka led her through the thick bushes and tightly packed trees, and despite their best efforts, they kept brushing against each other. She didn't seem to care while his skin prickled and his back still tingled from her touch. Focusing more on how terrifyingly close she was to him, Sokka failed to notice when she halted abruptly, and his nose smashed into the back of her head. He was about to open his mouth and complain, but a flash of blue made him reconsider.

"I got one, no thanks to you."

"Got a what?"

"A squirrel-rabbit, you idiot," she pointed at a black smudge a few feet away, "Oh never mind." She went ahead and picked up the charred mess. "What do we do now?"

"Ideally we would have eaten it for dinner," he rubbed his throbbing nose, trying to hide his embarrassment from not noticing anything other than her proximity, "Looks like we'll have to find another."

"What? Why? This one is perfect. I even cooked it for you."

"Do you know anything about cooking?"

"You…set it on fire," for the first time, she sounded hesitant, "don't you?"

"So close," he plucked the thing from her hands and tossed it on the ground, "and yet so far. Try again."

Unsurprisingly, Azula rather enjoyed going after the critters. It had been a while since she got to take down anything, and she missed the adrenaline rush, missed seeing fear in her prey's eyes. Moving close to the ground like a cat, she had a feral intensity about her, and it worried Sokka. A few scorched and a couple of electrocuted animals later, he decided to call it day.

"That's good enough. Maybe if we scrape off the burnt parts, we can actually eat some of this."

"Thank Agni," she exclaimed dramatically, "any more of that peasant food, and I would have gone insane."

"This coming from the girl who has zero cooking knowledge," he teased then caught himself. What was he doing? Was he actually joking around with Azula? "Oh, you're good," he muttered, "You are really good at playing this game."

"I beg your pardon?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

His demeanour changed entirely. "Nothing."

"If you say so."

Sokka watched her from the corner of his eye. He could have sworn she was grinning slyly. Or was she just happy? She was allowed to be happy, wasn't she? "How are you feeling?" The words burst out before he could stop it.

"About your company? I much prefer Palace life."

"Then why are you here?" He closed in on her. Four days had passed since she stumbled feverishly upon them, and she still hadn't given a full explanation for her impromptu arrival.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"Leave it alone, Sokka."

He almost dropped the squirrel-rabbits. It was the second time she had ever spoken his name. There was always a faint lilt in her voice when spoke, and the way his name curled as it lifted off her tongue made his stomach clench. "I wasn't trying to be rude," he commented softly, "I just wanted to know. Is it Ozai?"

"You don't know anything," she shivered involuntarily, "Not about me, and certainly not about my father."

"Did he threaten you?"

"He's a threat in and out of himself, wouldn't you say?" Staring at her hands, she whispered quietly to herself, "Eventually, he would have turned his back on me. He would have left me behind so I beat him to it."

Sokka just stared, unsure what to say. He was such a sucker for distraught women. Reaching up, he wiped a splotch off dirt off her cheek. "He's an awful person."

"Yes," she agreed quietly, "it runs in the family."

* * *

The would-be tender moment seemingly long forgotten, Azula returned to calling Sokka a peasant to his chagrin. She was teeming with biting remarks and subtle, underhanded insults, and the moment the sun started to dip, she simply got up and left. Typical Azula.

She didn't bother coming back for dinner, and despite Toph's complaint about her getting special treatment, Zuko dutifully saved some meat for her.

"I just don't understand why." Katara shook her head disapprovingly. "She's used you, taunted you, and probably bullied you too. The only thing she hasn't done is attempted murder."

"She's not all bad." He would have defended her to the end. "She's my sister."

"Doesn't make her any less evil," she retorted but only half-heartedly. It was sometimes hard to believe that the girl spending time with them was the same Azula as before. Besides the general malice and apathy, she hadn't actually put them in danger, not yet anyway.

"Azula's just difficult." That was the best way to put it. Zuko had more than enough stories about her cruelty towards him and her friends; he also knew about her insecurities, all of the fears eating away at her poise. Beyond that, he remembered her as a happy little troublemaker, as his best friend. That was a very long time ago though, back before they could bend, before she learned to be like Ozai.

* * *

Azula was almost finished with her routine when she heard someone approaching. She had a solid guess as to who it was, and he wasn't worth stopping for. Moving through the motions, she focused on her breathing. "Are you going to make a habit of watching?"

"I thought you'd like a partner seeing as you haven't gotten a chance at Aang yet." Sokka replied coolly.

"And you think you'd make a worthy opponent?" She untied the cloth holding her hair out of her face, and it tumbled down past her shoulders.

"Let's find out."

"Not tonight." She ran her hands through the mess of tangles and soon gave up. Yawning, she pushed past him. "You should be saving your energy."

His eyes hardened. "Zuko told you."

"No, I can just tell."

"How?"

"Because," she smirked, "I'm a people person."

* * *

Sneaking away from camp was easier than Sokka and Zuko had expected. As planned, they got up an hour before the sun was set to rise and jotted an unconvincing note about the deplorable lack of meat around camp.

"And so we have gone on a manly hunting trip!" Sokka signed the sheet with a flourish and tacked it on the side of Aang's tent where he was sure to see it. The pair tiptoed to the shore where Appa was sleeping, thinking they were home free at this point, but there, standing stony faced in front the flying bison, was Azula. "Why am I not surprised?"

She waited until they were an arm's length away. "Don't do it."

"Like hell," Sokka glared at her, "I'm going to rescue my dad and Suki, and there's nothing you can—"

"Oh please," her voice was thick with disgust, "I couldn't care less what becomes of you, peasant. What I want to know is why you're dragging my brother along on this foolhardy mission."

"I agreed to it," Zuko reassured, "I want to help."

"You are an imbecile. Of course you wanted to help." She gestured at Appa disdainfully, "He won't fly. Not without the Avatar's consent. I suggest you go ask him for permission."

Sokka groaned, "Aw man. I knew we shouldn't have left that war balloon behind."

"Too late for that now," Zuko waved him away, "I'm sure Aang will understand." He paused until the boy was out of earshot before continuing, "He thinks it's his fault his dad got taken. The invasion was his idea, and it was his idea to stay when things were going wrong."

"I'm not you, Zuzu. I have no interest in his sad sob story. If he wants to fix his stupid mistakes by making an even greater one, fine. Not my issue, and you have nothing to do with it either."

"Azula, he needs to regain his honour, and I know how that feels. I want to help him."

She gave him an incredulous look. "What is it with you and honour? No really, Zuzu. I would actually love to know."

"I'm going."

"You realise Mai's uncle is in charge of the prisons? He knows what you look like. Everyone knows what you look like. And the bison. Don't you think it would a bit conspicuous?"

Zuko gaped at her. "Crap, didn't think about that one."

"I find it hard to believe that you two can think at all." She clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly, weighing the pros and cons of knocking her brother unconscious and hiding his body. "Have the bison drop you off and fly back. There will be at least one war balloon docked at Boiling Rock. Don't get thrown into the cooler, and don't be a hero. If something happens to the peasant, leave. Got it?"

"What are you, my mother?" He teased, poking her sides.

"I'm serious, and if you poke me one more time, I will break your fingers." She glanced behind him, "The Avatar is coming, and he doesn't look pleased. Last thing: the peasant might not like this, but drop his father and girlfriend somewhere else. Our group is large enough as it is. We don't need any further additions."

"Don't worry."

"Try to utilise what little intelligence Agni gave you."

"I'll be back before you know it."

"Don't you dare bring Mai here."

"I'll be okay."

She made a noise in the back of her throat that fell somewhere between retching and assent. "If you're not back within two days, I'll start celebrating being an only child."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The general theory behind auras had always eluded Azula. They were more Ty Lee's forte, but she guessed the whole camp was emanating a dingy shade of grey. Sitting glumly on the beach, the remaining members of the Gaang kept careful watch over the horizon. Aang was understandably worried for Sokka and Zuko's safety; Katara was mainly panicking over Sokka and only fretted about Zuko as an afterthought; and Toph was just peeved she hadn't been invited on the excursion.

"No fair," she complained, "Why do they get to go on an awesome rescue mission while I'm bored out of my mind here?"

Katara stopped wringing her hands long enough to point a finger in Toph's face. "It is not awesome. It's dangerous!" She turned accusingly toward Azula who was her usual haughtily disinterested self. "How can you be so calm? Aren't you worried at all?"

"We've been worried about Zuko ever since he turned ten and picked up an interest in swords."

"What? Why?"

"Lack of coordination. Ran into trees a lot." She shrugged, "We figured he'd eventually take out someone's eye, most likely his own."

"But he never did." Aang interjected.

"No," Azula agreed, "and it came as a surprise for all of us, believe me." Getting up, she pulled Aang to his feet as well. "You've already wasted half the day doing nothing. Let's work on your firebending and try to undo the damage Zuzu's done to your form." But that wasn't entirely true.

Zuko's form had actually improved substantially since Azula last fought him. From what little she had seen during the practise sessions with Aang, he was no longer so stiff. He stopped forcing out flames to fall alongside his rigid performance of common, military taught punches and kicks, and started moving with it instead. He had begun to glide through the actions, appearing more graceful than Azula had ever thought possible. Still, she thought with smug satisfaction, he continued to fall short of her natural talents. A true firebending master wasn't really bending anymore; he wasn't commanding fire or even working beside it. Fire became part of his very being. It flowed from him as an extension of his body, filling every breath and heartbeat. No, Azula felt the unspoken fear she had harboured in her chest for the past few years melt away, he would never be better than her. Admitting reluctantly that he was sure to be her equal someday, she was reassured nonetheless that he would never truly surpass her. "Show me what you've learned then."

Aang obediently did as she said, and Azula could immediately see Zuko's influences on the Avatar. She noted his traditional stance, the way he kept his hands in tight balls or had them flat, palms opens. Curious to see how he'd fare in combat, she came at him with several short blasts, pointedly disregarding Katara's protests. He blocked them swiftly, having adopted Zuko's penchant for fire walls as defence mechanisms, and hurled a stream of fire back. Impressed by the force of his flames, she nodded at him in approval.

"Not bad." She didn't bother pointing out his weaknesses though, and one of the biggest issues she noticed was his immobility. He was not as light on his feet as one would expect from an airbender and preferred to stay stationary instead of making use of the terrain, another flaw inherited from Zuko no doubt. His visible lack in strategy was another problem, and despite the smoothness he displayed for each motion, he erratically went from one to the next without a major tactic in mind.

"Use your head," she kept her attacks straightforward, "Stop pulling things out at random and respond. React to what I do. Have a plan."

"I'm trying!" Up to this point, Aang had been doing decently well, and her missing deliberately certainly helped. Unused to depending solely on fire in drawn out combat though, he was quickly tiring, and the strain showed in his increasingly careless bending.

"Enough." Azula concluded the session. She gestured for him to sit, and he collapsed gratefully onto the sand.

"What did you think?" He eagerly waited for her judgment.

She chose her criticism carefully. "As Avatar, you can get away with a lot of sloppy mistakes and compensate using the other elements, I suppose. Your flames themselves were powerful enough, but you'll need to work on your endurance."

"I thought it was really good, Aang!" Katara's verdict was significantly more positive. "You've learned a lot from Zuko."

"Yes," Azula's tone remained ambiguous, "he most certainly has."

Aang took her approving words as a good sign. "Is that it for today then?"

"Not so fast Twinkletoes. You should work on some earthbending." Toph rammed into him affably.

"Aww," he groaned, "being stuck with you guys really does suck."

* * *

In the end, Toph didn't get her turn. While Aang rested, Azula pulled together a long but relatively unintensive routine made up of her brother's favoured moves. It was better for Aang to practise what he already knew, and it gave her a chance to familiarise herself with Zuko's improved firebending style. She ran through the whole thing once on her own to make sure the sequence made sense before calling for the boy.

"Break's over. Now, pay attention."

"Whaaat?" He looked to Katara for support. "My legs still feel like jelly."

"Avatar," she pointed at the spot beside her, "get over here now." Aang trudged over, puppy dog eyes on full blast but no luck. She sternly guided him through the routine. "It's not about making the flames as big as you can. Focus on consistency. Get it perfectly twice in a row, and you're free for the rest of the day."

"Hmph," Aang grumbled, "there's not very much left to the day."

By the time he had met Azula's demands, the sun had already set, which left him completely drained and weak-kneed. Glancing longingly back at camp where Toph and Katara had already started on dinner, Aang waited for Azula's consent first.

"That was not so bad, Avatar." She dismissed him with a flick of her hand. "You may go."

"All right!" He gave a weak but no less joyous jig. "Are you coming?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

"Of course." Azula watched him dash off, obviously afraid she might change her mind and make him do more exercises. She stretched out her limbs, considering the different moves from the routine and calculating their benefits. Then, she closed her eyes and gradually eased her way through useful ones, enhancing them as she saw fit. The techniques were fairly new—she had only recently seen Zuko use them—yet they felt distinctly his. It was oddly nostalgic to be mimicking his firebending, something she hadn't done since she first learnt to bend at age four.

"You got it," he used to say encouragingly, even when she clearly didn't get it at all, "Keep going. I'm right here." Back then, those words could have motivated her to walk through the Spirit world and back. All it took was a "bending would be more fun with you" from Zuko, and she was up every morning at the crack of dawn, trying to squeeze out a flame between her little fingers. A month later, Azula was proudly setting fire to his shirt as she showed him she could do it too.

The bending came and went during that first week, and she would often run to him wailing, "It's broken! Fix it, Zuzu. Fix it!"

"It's okay. Try again," he'd say, showing her the proper firebending pose, "I'm here."

By the time Ozai caught on, Azula almost had it under total control. "A prodigy," he declared, "Not even five and already bending." Rather than having the siblings share a tutor, the Fire Lord took time out of his own schedule to train her personally, and her playful lessons with Zuko were never the same.

"Watch this!" Her brother would try to share what he had learned from his teacher, but she'd shake her head, frowning.

"Daddy taught me that already."

"How about this?"

"That one's stupid. You have to stand super close to use it." Brows furrowed and lips pinched together in inexplicable annoyance, she would try to teach him instead.

Zuko did his best to appease her. "Am I close?"

"No, you're doing it wrong." Azula would show him over and over, growing increasingly agitated at his failed attempts and not understanding why he wasn't getting it. "It's so easy. Get it right, you dum-dum!"

"I can't," he'd tell her gently, "I can't do it."

"Why not?"

"I'm not as good as you. But I'll catch up, okay? Then we can do it together."

But they didn't. Azula sighed and opened her eyes. Not until two days ago anyway.

Staring up at the clear night sky, she counted stars till the knot in her stomach went away and she no longer wondered whether Zuko was okay or not. Then, she blinked a few times and started again.

* * *

Between midnight and morning, Katara woke groggily, desperately needing the bathroom. Feeling her way around in the dark, she stumbled out of her tent and noticed something glowing dimly on the beach. Bathroom first, she decided and turned the other direction.

After successfully tripping twice on her way there and nearly tripping over the same root on her way back, Katara was fully awake by the time she went to inspect the mysterious flickering light. It turned out to be nothing more than a dying campfire. What really surprised her was what lay beside it: a sleeping Azula, curled up under a thin blanket. The girl's hair pooled around her face like a dark halo, and she looked almost peaceful under the moon's silver glow.

Katara couldn't help smiling.

Here was Azula—cunning and cruel Azula—waiting in the cold for her big brother to return.


	7. Chapter 6

It was close to midnight. The moon was full, and she should have been asleep. Instead, she lay awake, listening to the Palace breathe. The soft intake and low sighs reminded her of steady currents, flowing through the halls, opening and closing doors like ghosts. She was sure she was only dreaming because the place was never this alive during the day. It loomed still and cold like a cadaver.

She was probably dreaming. But there was Zuzu, just outside her bedroom door. He was saying something, his mouth opening and closing silently. Azula squinted at him in the near darkness. She followed his lips intently.

"Mother left," he was saying, "She already said goodbye."

_Not to me_, Azula's chest filled with panic and fury. Sometimes, the two were barely distinguishable for her. _She didn't say goodbye to me. _Clambering out of the giant bed and heading angrily toward her brother, Azula's chubby toddler legs couldn't carry her fast enough. Zuko had already vanished. Him. Her mother. "Daddy?" That was all she had left. Ozai didn't like to be called that, but Azula would worry about consequences later. "Daddy!" He wasn't coming. No one ever came to help her.

She tucked her feet under her nightdress and beat her tiny fists against her cheeks until a thin flame flickered around her hands. She pulled the blue glow close against her chest, teeth chattering. It was so cold. Why was her fire always so cold?

She swallowed back a whimper and bit down on her lower lip. Hard. She was a Princess. Someday, she would be the Fire Lord. It didn't matter if that title was only meant for boys, and it certainly didn't matter that Zuzu was going to inherit that throne. She would earn it. At least, she thought she would. Azula's small frame trembled despite herself, and the darkness swallowed her whole.

Noise like crashing cymbals shook her, and she couldn't tell if she was breathing anymore. Eventually all that filtered out into static. There was glass in her lungs instead of air, and nothing mattered.

Azula's eyes flashed open just in time to see another tall wave towering overhead. It smashed her against the shore, forcing salt water into her nose and mouth. She came up gagging. Dragging herself away from the rising tide, she retched and coughed up sand. These nightmares were getting out of hand.

Muttering curses under her breath, she conjured a flame in a feeble attempt to dry herself. When Azula's mind finally cleared away the cobwebs left over from her fitful sleep, she nearly snapped her neck trying to get a good look at the horizon.

Nothing. It was dawn of the second day, and Zuko was not coming.

Giving up on her now stiff, dry clothes, she pulled herself together. There was no one to blame except herself for falling asleep there. Azula wanted to go back, hide under a thick blanket, and sleep in her tent until she could feel her toes again, but instead, she stretched out her numb limbs. Calmer now and fully awake, she placed her hands over her head and started counting hot squats. It was hell for her aching legs, but it helped warm her. The sun was already drying out her hair, and a quick morning work out would do her good.

By the time she was done, Azula was a mess. Sweat and salt streaked across her face, but she was significantly cheerier. She snuck toward the camp and hoped, with any luck, the Water peasant girl would not be up to see her rather unseemly appearance. She nearly made it into her tent when she heard footsteps.

"Good morning, you sleep alright?"

Azula turned, mustering up as much dignity as she could. "Yes," she flicked a few offending bits of sand off her arms "fine."

"Well you look like—" Katara tried to stifle her giggles. The terrifying snarl forming on Azula's face prompted the Water tribe girl to reconsider her words. "—like, uh, like you could use a bath."

"Is there a bath?"

"Er, no, not exactly. I have some fresh water though. It's not enough to fully wash off, but it'll help."

Azula eyed the girl suspiciously. Katara seemed sweeter than usual. There was a certain happy spring in her step that Azula did not approve of. "Fine. And I'll need to borrow some clothes. Zuzu doesn't have any more spares."

"Yeah, of course. I still have some Fire Nation clothes lying around from..." She trailed off.

"When you were traversing our land and plotting treason in my kingdom. Yes, I know."

Katara laughed, "Something like that."

* * *

The water from Katara's skeins was just enough to make Azula feel human. Still, a bath was in order at some point, and she added it to her mental list of things to do. The clothes were only partially acceptable. Anything was better than Zuko's oversized shirts, but the cropped one shoulder and flowing skirt left Azula feeling ridiculously unprotected. She did note, with some satisfaction, that she stood a few inches taller than the peasant girl given how the outfit was fitting.

Still tugging at the shirt's hem, Azula didn't really walk towards Katara so much as wander absentmindedly. She looked distracted, and if Katara didn't know any better, maybe a bit wistful.

"You okay?"

Azula glanced around and quickly masked her surprise with disdain. "Of course." When did she end up here, at the centre of the camp? She had turned left out of the tent, started for the woods to get some peace and quiet, and then…she thought of him: Ozai. What was her father doing now? He certainly wasn't missing her, but…did she ever cross his mind, in between all the war meetings and training? "When will breakfast be ready?"

"Soon. Sooner if you helped peel the vegetables."

"Please," Azula scoffed, "I don't do servant work."

Katara shoved a knife and an oversized legume into the girl's hands. "I insist." A couple seconds later, and she wished she hadn't. Azula's vicious hacking took away more flesh than skin, and Katara was beginning to question whether giving her a sharp object was really the best course of action. "You're supposed to be skinning it, not maiming."

"The skin is off."

"…Close enough. Drop it in the pot. We'll let it stew for a bit and then we can eat." Katara leaned back against the log serving double duty as chair and table. "It's strange, isn't it? There's this whole war going on, and Sozin's comet will be around in less than a week. But here, with no one around, no one attacking, it's almost like none of it exists."

"Ignorance is bliss," Azula recited the old adage Lo and Li used to tell her, "but reality will find you no matter how fast you run."

"Yeah. I have to say, reality is getting a little hard to believe these days." Katara looked at her pointedly. "I never could have imagined all this."

Azula didn't seem to hear her though. Twirling the knife deftly between her fingers, she counted the days. How long had she been here? If her calculations were correct—and they always were—there were only four days before the comet. That meant Ozai would be burning down the Earth Kingdom with his airship fleet soon. Her fingers tightened around the knife's handle. He was probably being crowned Phoenix King right now, and she should have ascended as Fire Lord. Instead…

"Food's ready! Help serve them into the bowls, okay? I'll go wake Aang and Toph," Katara carefully took the knife away, "I'll be right back."

Azula poured a bowl for herself, sipped it, and dumped the porridge right back. She was not about to eat that. Mind still elsewhere, she scooped out the lumpy mess into three passably clean bowls and poked at the fire. Things were getting hard to believe.

"Morning, Azula." Aang plopped down beside her, "Any sign of Sokka and Zuko?"

"No."

"I'm sure they'll be back soon," the young Avatar chirped optimistically, "Appa's already here."

"Look at you, helping out for once." Toph remarked, grabbing a bowl.

"What?" Azula chose to ignore the earthbender, "When?"

"Early this morning, way before the sun came up," Toph slurped loudly, "He was pretty darn loud. Can't believe it didn't wake you."

Azula couldn't believe it either. She had always been a light sleeper, and after attempted night-time kidnappings as a child, she was usually pretty vigilant when resting. "Was there a note or anything?"

"Like, for a ransom?" Aang looked puzzled, "I didn't see one."

"No, you idiot. Like a message from my brother and that peasant. The least they could do is send a status report."

"That's pretty smart actually," Katara commented appreciatively, "Guess they didn't think of that."

"I doubt that's the only thing they didn't think of," Azula glowered darkly, "and you," she pointed accusingly at Toph who had started to pick out dirt from between her toes, "would you kindly desist?"

"Who died and made you Fire Lord?" Toph countered, "If you don't like it, you can just run on home, Princess. No one is making you stay."

"Strong words coming from creature that looks more like a badgermole than a person. Tell me, did your parents raise you as a child or as a pet? Because I've seen platypusbears with better manners than you."

"Say that again, you bug eyed cretin," Toph stood and puffed up to her full unimpressive height, "I'll hit you so hard, your whole head spins!"

Katara immediately moved to interfere, but Aang pulled her back. "Don't worry," he whispered, "I don't think they're that serious. They won't kill each other."

"That's not why I'm worried," Katara hissed back, "What if Azula sets fire to the camp? We're low on supplies as it is."

"Oh yeah," Aang got up and pushed the bickering girls apart, "Why don't we just…talk about our feelings instead? Azula, you can go first." She gave him a withering look, and Aang became acutely aware of the gaping height difference. She loomed over him menacingly and brought the claws she called nails close to his face. He stiffened, waiting for fire or blood or both, but she only pinched his cheek tightly.

"Don't interrupt me."

"Yes, ma'am," he gulped, trying to wiggle free, "I mean, your Fire Princess-ness."

"What?" Toph smacked his shoulder, "Don't let her bully you! Stand up for yourself, Twinkletoes."

"Ow, Toph, stop hitting me." He flailed his arms imploringly. He should probably give up on the mediating aspect of being Avatar. "And could you please let go of my face?"

"Okay, wrap it up guys." Katara didn't exactly have a game plan, but to her surprise, they all did settle down. "Everyone help with the dishes, and we'll go hang out on the beach after."

Azula glanced up at the sun, already so high up, and assessed the situation. "We'll be packing everything up," she commanded, "We don't have to load Appa now. Just get everything ready."

"What? Why?" The others looked confused.

_Where are you, dum-dum?_ Azula stared up at the sky. _You have until sundown._ Pinching the bridge of her nose, she could feel a migraine coming. "Two days," she told them enigmatically, "It's been two days."

* * *

Sokka could barely tell where sky stopped and sea began. It was right around dusk, when it wasn't dark enough for fire to light things and was just bright enough that everything was a tired, grey-blue. He couldn't make out anything. "I feel lightning would come in handy right around now."

"Well next time you can bring Azula on these trips," Zuko snapped back crossly. After all the steering and firebending to keep the balloon alight, he was starting to feel highly under-appreciated.

"It would probably make it easier to see is all I'm saying." Sokka put his hands up defensively. Clearly this was a touchy subject. The angsty firebender had a lot of those. "Wait, go down a bit. There's some blobby shape over there."

"There are a lot of blobby shapes, everywhere." But he grudgingly let the war-balloon down. Then he noticed it too. He rapidly let out the flame, and they descended toward land.

"I see them, I see them!" Sokka was screaming over the roaring waves. Most of his words were cut off, but Zuko caught something that sounded suspiciously like "crazy Azula", "didn't kill", and "hopefully still alive". He would have retorted if his attention weren't directed at the ground that was appearing faster than he expected. "Are you even steering?" Sokka shouted, "We're so close! We can't die now!"

"I've never landed one of these," Zuko admitted, pulling levers at random now, "I'm not really sure how it works!"

"WHAT?! These are things you should say beforehand!"

"I didn't think it mattered!" The balloon dipped dangerously. "How do you feel about getting wet?"

Sokka didn't get a chance to reply. The war-balloon veered, and he toppled out of the basket. For whatever it was worth, he was going to say please don't, and he was also pretty damn sure he had been rudely pushed. Head bobbing above the water, he sputtered, "Are you crazy?"

"You can swim right?" Zuko called out from somewhere. There was no real need for that though. They were fairly close to shallow waters, and the tide did most of the work. After they collapsed exhausted onto the sand, Zuko glanced over meekly. "That was another thing I should have asked before, huh?"

"Yes. Yes that was." Not that it mattered any more. Suki and his dad were safe; he was alive; and there was his sister, running over with a relieved smile. "Dad went back South," he let Katara help him up, "he's fine. Suki's with him."

"I'm just glad you're okay," she draped a towel around him. "We all are."

Nearby, Azula watched her brother stand shakily. He attempted a smile. "Hey. I'm back."

She didn't bother with a proper greeting. "Disappointment abounds," she answered tartly, but her tone lacked its usual venom. She tossed him a towel and motioned at Appa, lying on the sand a few feet away with supplies already loaded onto his back. "We're leaving."

"Now?" He caught it and wrapped it around himself gratefully. "We just got back."

"We have to go."

"Where?"  
Aang intercepted the question with his own, "If you had to pick somewhere safe to hide out until the comet comes, where would it be?"

"Back with the Southern water tribe?" Sokka supplied hopefully.

"Ember Island," Zuko furrowed his brow, "We have a beach house there. It's the last place our dad would think to look."

"Okay," Aang nodded slowly, "That's what Azula said too."


	8. Chapter 7

Azula had hoped the trip to Ember Island would be quick and painless. She was tired these days, worn thin and fraying at the edges. The moment Zuko tried to discreetly press up next to her under the pretext of keeping her warm, she knew it was going to be an unmitigated disaster.

"What do you think you're doing?"

He squirmed guiltily. "You aren't wearing much…I thought you'd be cold…"

"I can take care of myself." She waved her hand at him dismissively, "Move."

"Here, I'll switch with you." Sokka smiled broadly and shifted over to trade seats. He lumbered on all fours, making sure his elbow was lodged squarely against Azula's side. She didn't even glance his way.

"Guys, don't move so much," Aang called out from the front of the flying bison, "It makes it harder for Appa to keep balance."

"Sorry," Sokka stretched out his legs out and yawned, "So, Zuko, are you excited to be Fire Lord some day?" Everyone minus Azula gaped at him incredulously.

"Where did that come from?" Katara eyed him suspiciously. "I swear, instead of common sense you got—"

"An extra helping of good looks? Yeah, I get that a lot. I was thinking," Sokka drawled, a bit more slyly than the others would have liked, "when you take over, this whole war can finally stop, which makes you a top notch Fire Lord in my books."

"Yeah," Zuko stared out at the fluffy clouds, his expression dark and brooding as per usual, "I can finally end all of the destruction. So many people have been hurt. I just want it to be over."

He nodded emphatically. "Knew you'd make a great Fire Lord. I can't wait. We better get special invites to your coronation. Have any big plans?"

"For what?"

"After your grand ascension, of course." Sokka snuck a peek at Azula. "Fire Lord Zuko. Rolls right off the tongue. Your thoughts?" He nudged her, but she didn't bite. "Aw, come on. You of all people should have some opinion about all this." He was rewarded with an exasperated sigh. He didn't remember goading Azula to be this difficult before.

"I don't expect you to understand." She stared straight into his eyes, and even in the darkness, her irises gleamed like molten gold. He couldn't help flinching back, just a tad.

"Right, right." Common sense would have prompted him to shut up right around then, but instead, he considered his dashing good looks and guessed the chances of her breaking his face was minimal. Hopefully. "Like how I wouldn't understand why you had a magical change of heart and joined the Gaang. Or the whole Ozai is a threat and was eventually going to dump you thing."

"Why is Aang the Avatar?"

"What?" Sokka was taken aback. "Have you been following what I'm saying at all?"

"Answer the question."

The others watched the two converse intently, if it could be called conversing. Their eyes rocked from one to the other, and they started to pool bets in their heads. Zuko and Toph were Azula all the way; the latter hoped there would be yelling at some point followed by a few physical blows while the former just glumly hoped they'd be at Ember Island soon. Katara was less sure about the outcome. Azula no longer looked like a caged tiger-eagle, pacing about with hateful, hungry eyes and a wicked grin. She looked exhausted, truth be told, and Sokka was asking for trouble.

"Because the Spirits chose him?"

Azula rolled her eyes. "You're not very bright, are you? He's the Avatar because he is the master of all the elements. Or should be anyway. Being called Avatar didn't give him this ability. It was his ability that won him the title. Fire Lord is the same. It's just a title."

"And it needs to be earned." Zuko broke in.

"It needs to be upheld." She corrected him. "You have to assert your power and dominance. Make sure the world knows that you are Fire Lord and not just someone masquerading under the name."

"Assert power and dominance," Sokka repeated, "by killing and or enslaving everyone? Forcing them to kneel before you? That's original. Ever heard of a moral compass? Has your mom ever told you it's not nice to pick on other kids?"

"Sometimes," Azula heard herself saying, "there is no real right or wrong. As the Fire Lord, you dictate what is right. What you decide, becomes the right choice. That's why you have to be strong." Ozai's words came easily to Azula's tongue. "If Aang were completely useless, then people who didn't like his plans would seek to destroy him. His title won't save his life. His abilities will."

"Gee, this sounds familiar," Sokka tapped his head thoughtfully, "where have I heard the whole 'don't like Aang, going to destroy him' thing before…"

"I won't apologise for what I did."

"Because you're a Princess, can back it up with lightning, so therefore it's right?"

"You wouldn't understand," She said with an air of finality, signalling the debate was closed—permanently, "I don't want to discuss this any further."

The rest of the trip went by silently to everyone's general relief, and they reached Ember Island without any issues.

"This is our summer home," Zuko led them up the walkway, "We have a smaller one too for weekend trips." Staring at the dark oak doorway, his stomach turned. "It hasn't been used in a long time. We used to come here all the time during the summer." He jiggled the doorknob, and it dawned onto him that there was no spare key lying around anywhere.

"I got this." Sokka strutted over with his hands on his hips. Clearing his throat dramatically, he rammed his shoulder into the door and immediately regretted it. "Ow okay that was a bad idea—woah. Watch the shirt." He glowered at Azula who had rudely grabbed the back of his tunic and threw him unceremoniously out of the way. He clamped his mouth tightly shut when he saw her hands come up, lightning in one and fire in the other, and she blasted the door right off its hinges.

"Ah, mini fires!" Aang rushed forward to stomp out the smouldering parts, and Katara only sighed, pulling water from her skein and putting them out easily.

"Oh this is nice," Sokka commented, "This is very nice. It's much better without a door." Azula shoved him aside and disappeared into the corridor. "No really," he yelled at her receding figure, "I like having a gaping hole to let in drafts, thieves, and Fire Nation soldiers."

"Give it a rest, dimwit," Toph punched him without any real gusto, "I can close it up. Just shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you."

* * *

Azula woke up half an hour before sunrise like clockwork. Mostly, she wanted to stay under the covers and sleep in for once. The sun was calling for her though, and she rose reluctantly. Splashing some cold water on her face, she changed into her father's old robes. It pooled at her feet and the shoulders were much too broad. A bit of hacking with the scissors made it workable. It was only for morning practise anyway. Besides, it beat wearing mother's old things.

She lingered for a moment at the mirror. For a second, she could have sworn it was her mother watching her from the other side. But it wasn't mother, and it certainly wasn't _her_ mother. Ursa had always been Zuko's, exclusively. She was there to wipe away his tears and chase out the monsters hiding under his bed. They would sit and feed the turtle-ducks while Azula watched from the upstairs study until her father banged the table and ordered for her to focus. All Ursa ever said to Azula was to stop: stop doing this, stop saying that, stop hitting Zuko or pushing Ty Lee over. In the end, Azula figured Ursa probably just wanted to stop being her mother.

The night Ursa left the palace, Azula already knew what was going to happen. She was ready and waiting in the empty guest room near Zuko's bedroom. She peered out from behind the door and watched as Ursa went in to say goodbye. She was old enough to know Ursa would be going down the corridor and leaving from the servants' quarter. She wouldn't be stopping at Azula's door. She wouldn't bother saying goodbye to her twisted, cunning little demon child, conjured up from hellfire. Rage had welled up within Azula, not the fleeting fiery type that overwhelmed Zuko, but the cold burning vehemence that lingered beneath her skin like a hungry disease. It was a powerful hatred, and it had kept her going.

Not these days though. Azula hefted up the full length and flipped it around. She couldn't find that rage anymore. It was gone and left in its place an ironclad determination that let her know she would survive. She would make it to the top.

Opening the bedroom door, she nearly collided with a shirtless Sokka. "What are you doing in front of my door? How long have you been standing here?" She grimaced, "And why are you shirtless?"

"Not long. I was waiting for you to get up." He brandished two wooden swords and handed her one. "You still owe me a match."

"I owe you nothing." she prodded him aside with the business end of the sword and couldn't help noticing the hard muscles on his chest and stomach that were usually hidden away. Not that she was impressed really. She had seen more than enough abs in her life—on the soldiers, her father, herself. It was just strange seeing such hard lines on this man-boy.

"It's rude to stare."

Her gaze snapped back up to his tanned face. She had to admit, he wasn't exactly painful to look at. He had that chiselled jaw and high cheekbones look going for him, and his piercing blue eyes only helped his case. Girls were probably into that whole toned body and attractive face deal, Azula guessed. She wouldn't know. "Let's go outside. I don't want to ruin the carpets."

"With what?"

Azula led him out into the courtyard and lit the surrounding torches, "Bloodstains are hard to get out."

"Yeah," Sokka took a few steps away, "Zuko probably wouldn't be too happy if I hit you hard enough to draw blood." He brandished the sword and shifted into a fighting stance. "I was wondering, why do you have wooden swords in the first place?"

"Zuko and I were children at one point. Besides, father likes us to be well-rounded."

So she did know how to use one. He grinned with an easy confidence. Swordfights were his territory. "Ladies first. Or are you scared that I'll kick your ass?" He hooked two fingers and motioned for her to come at him. "Don't take it personally."

Azula only smirked. She was going to this very personally. Then, in a blink, she had closed the distance between them. With a feline grace, she slipped around behind him and brought her sword up. Sokka was just as quick. He swung around to face her and dipped away from her oncoming blow. She feigned another cut, bringing the blunt blade dangerously close to his shoulder before slicing his right side as easy as breathing. He let out a low growl. She had managed the first hit, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let her land another.

Sokka lunged over, and she danced away from his sword. His left hook caught her by surprise. She nearly lost balance, bringing her free hand up to touch her bruised cheek. Taking advantage of her stunned paralysis, he took a clear shot at her torso with his sword. Azula arched her body in pain and recovered with a kick that sent Sokka flying. He shot back up and chuckled. This was more fun than he expected.

They charged at each other again, wooden sword clashing against each other. She was certainly more agile, but he knew the sword better. A few bangs later, he smacked her knuckles against his blade and twisted her sword away. She flew towards him, fists ready, and she returned the punch Sokka had dealt earlier. Except she used her dominant hand.

Sokka's head spun, and Azula kicked his sword away. It was going to be a fair fistfight at this point. That is, if one could call any fight against Azula fair, which he certainly didn't. She fought dirty. He had already blocked several blows to his lower parts, and her nails left angry red trails down the side of his arms. Still, it was easy to see the refinement in her movements. She had been formally trained in hand-to-hand combat and clearly excelled. He had a hard time keeping up, but he was keeping up nonetheless. His journeys with Aang had made him tough, and he could hold his own.

When she lashed out, leg up for a high kick, he saw an opening at took it. He deliberately came in closer and timed it just right so that her foot hit squarely into his palm. He shoved her roughly, and she fell backwards. Maybe because he noticed the way her eyes squeezed shut, preparing for impact, or because her robe had slipped and he caught a glimpse of creamy skin underneath it all; either way, he reached out to catch her. In a flash, she yanked him close, and though she hit the ground with a sickening crunch, Azula nimbly rolled over on top of him, forcing him down against the earth as she straddled his chest triumphantly.

"Are you done yet?"

The two could not untangle themselves faster. They looked sheepishly at the tired Avatar, squinting at them with sleepy eyes.

"Aang," Sokka tried to act natural, "what are you doing up so early?"

"Toph said you two were trying to kill each other. She wanted me to tell you guys to knock it off and kill each other any time that isn't morning." Message successfully delivered, Aang trotted back inside, but Azula caught him.

"You should learn to rise with the sun," she half led, half dragged a bedraggled looking Aang to the courtyard centre.

"Help me," he mouthed to Sokka, but the water tribe boy was curious to see what would follow.

"What does that even mean," he asked, "rising with the sun?"

"You're not a firebender," Azula swatted at him, "It doesn't pertain to you. You're dismissed." Aang made a run for it. "Not you. Stop fidgeting." She gripped the poor Avatar tightly by the shoulders until he stopped trying to flee. "It's like meditation. Close your eyes and just relax." She made a quick lap around to put out the torches before standing beside him and focusing on her breath. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. She could sense Sokka's eyes on her, and it was more than a bit distracting. Inhale. What was he staring at? Exhale. Her face? Her body? A sharp inhale. What was he thinking? Slow exhale. Inhale. Exhale. It didn't matter. She let her muscles relax, unwinding each knot and tension with care. Her heart thudded in perfect harmony with the breaths, steady and powerful, and in the stillness, she could imagine hearing Aang's heart fluttering like a bird. Something ran down her bruised cheek, feather soft and kind. She peered out through her thick lashes and saw Sokka's large hand hovering by her face. He pulled away, and she noted the blood on his fingers. So she was bleeding. That didn't matter either. Not now.

The sun was appearing somewhere off in the horizon. She didn't need to see it to know. She felt her fingertips tingle, and a fire lit deep within her chest, an unwavering answer to the sun's beckoning call. The first rays of light crept through the summerhouse's high rooftops and turned her skin to rose-gold. Her breath never faltered, but Sokka's certainly did. She looked… He didn't dare finish the thought.

"Can you feel it?" Azula murmured. If Sokka hadn't seen her lips moving, he would have thought the voice belonged to another. It was gentler than he could have ever imagined her voice to be, and the words sounded like a caress.

"I think so." Aang felt as though something warm was coursing through his veins. He felt it slip through the hollows of his spine, nestle deep in his chest and bloom like a wild fire. The sensation expanded and filled him entirely, pushing out through the pores of his skin and escaping from every breath. That comforting warmth, he realised, was life, and he wondered if he were actually on fire. It made him feel strong, invincible almost, like he could burn on forever.

With the sun hanging brilliant and full over their heads, Azula opened her eyes. She pushed a finger to her lips and motioned for Sokka to stay quiet as Aang was still standing there, meditating with his arms stretched out on either side. Sokka nodded; he was at a loss for words anyway. Even with sweaty hair matted against her forehead and dirt covering the rest of her body, she had never looked better in his mind. Finally, Aang too tore away from the bright morning sky and smiled.

"Thank you," he told Azula, "I think I get it now." And he did. In those few minutes, he truly understood what it meant to be a firebender and to rise with the sun.


	9. Chapter 8

Sokka spent the rest of the morning avoiding close proximity with Azula. All he could think about was how it felt to be pinned on the ground, her lean legs wrapped around his bare stomach. He could see her chest rising and falling evenly; he could feel her warmth radiating against him. He didn't know what to make of it. She had been so dangerously close. He felt like an unagi attack survivor. Just the thought of it sent his pulse racing. Azula, on the other hand, had obviously marked the morning's tussle off as insignificant. She did, however, mention that they should spar again some other time, and Sokka barely managed a weak nod.

During breakfast, between eating and being berated by a grouchy Toph, he pointedly brought all subjects back to his girlfriend Suki.

"This is really delicious, Katara." Aang beamed at the home cooked meal, compliments of the Fire Lord's dusty but functional kitchen.

"Suki's a great cook." Sokka informed them.

Toph shot him a sour look. "You've never tasted her cooking."

"Yeah, but I bet it's great. Do you know why?" He surveyed the sullen group expectantly. Nobody humoured him. "Because she's the best!"

"Maybe we can do some waterbending later today." Aang was as single minded as Sokka, but his focus was directed at another special girl. "I haven't practised in a while."

"Sure," Katara pushed her hair back prettily, "I haven't been training much either."

"I bet Suki is training back at the Southern Water Tribe." Sokka added unhelpfully, "Know why?"

"Because your girlfriend is the best?" Aang offered.

"No. Well, she is. But it's because she's a warrior. A warrior _and_ a girl."

Azula's annoyance got the best of her. "Will you shut it? Shockingly, there is a female life form somewhere in this universe that can tolerate your presence. We get it." But Sokka couldn't shut it. He rambled on and on before disappearing off to write love letters and some romantic poetry that heralded Suki's beauty and goddess like perfection.

"Didn't your first lover run away to the moon in an effort to avoid you?" Azula asked without any real interest.

"She didn't run away to the moon," Sokka dramatically brought his hand up to wipe at his tear filled eyes, "She turned into the moon." Letting out a wail of despair, he left theatrically to find pen, paper, and inspiration.

* * *

Sokka resurfaced right around lunchtime. He came in late enough to avoid helping out but early enough to start stuffing his face before the others crowded about the table.

"How did the poetry writing go?" Aang asked eagerly, stealing sideways glances at Katara, "Do girls actually like that stuff?"

"Yup, believe me it works like a charm." Sokka replied with certainty.

"Mai doesn't." Azula promptly shot back, more to deter Zuko from coming to her for poetry advice than to disprove Sokka's claim. He turned beet red and grumbled incoherently into his lunch.

"I've never tried writing poetry," Aang said thoughtfully, "Does it have to rhyme?"

"Luckily for you, no," Sokka reassured him, "There's not much that rhymes with Katara." His sister blushed profusely and started mumbling too.

"Man, you guys are a bunch of pansies," Toph grumbled, "You sound like the dumb maids back at home. Let's talk about anything else."

"You're too young," Sokka reprimanded, "You'll understand the mysteries of love someday."

Azula gagged and excused herself from the table. Zuko tagged along. "Really, Zuzu? Must you follow me around?"

"That used to be my line."

"Mm."

"Let's go down to the beach." He risked pulling her along lightly. She didn't resist. Encouraged, he chanced a lopsided smile. "We can make sand castles. Like old times."

"You were the one who always built sand castles."

"I'll let you step on them then," he promised, sitting down near the cool water. Azula noncommittally kicked sand onto his legs. He had been thinking about Mai the moment Sokka mentioned his own girlfriend, she was sure of it. Why was he always thinking about blank, boring Mai? Zuko was her property. Not Mai's. Hers. Agni knew she needed someone to be there for her alone. "Find me a shell, will you?"

She considered rudely telling him to find his own damned shell and suggesting some choice places where he could shove it. Instead, she clenched her teeth and forced out an irritable, "What kind?"

"A fan one." He had already bent over and started shaping the wet sand so he didn't notice her disgruntled scowl or the way she obediently trotted off. She reappeared beside him and tossed over a broken scallop.

"This place is depressing."

Zuko fingered the cracked edges of the shell. "Damaged during delivery?"

"Sure." She half-heartedly poked at what barely passed as a tower. "After all these years, I never thought I'd be back here."

"We were just here, with Ty Lee and—"

"Not Ember Island. The house. I didn't think I'd actually be living in there again."

"It's not so bad," he patiently filled in the holes even as she made more, "I don't mind."

"I see." Azula didn't know what else to say. A comfortable hush descended, and she stopped her siege on the castle for the time being. It was funny to see her brother who had never shown much reigning the Fire Nation work so diligently on an ephemeral kingdom made entirely of sand. Watching the incoming tide, she scooted over and dug out a deep moat. She used the displaced sand to build a tall fortress around the place and chuckled humourlessly. The wall reminded her of Ba Sing Se.

Zuko glanced up at the sound. "I'm done."

"So?" Her throat constricted. Was he waiting for her to stomp on it? "I don't destroy everything I see, Zuzu," she spat. Truth be told, Azula wanted to explain that she didn't feel like ruining his hard work, but she didn't know how. Flustered, she didn't know how to react at all so she plastered a condescending sneer on her face and raised a fist above the pathetic little castle because that was familiar territory. He stopped her gently.

"I know," he used the same soothing voice from back when he tried to placate her about the monsters under the bed, and wished he could banish her inner demons as easily as he did the monsters, "That's not what I meant. I guess I was half expecting you to clap and tell me it looked nice or something." He let go of her thin wrist and couldn't help marvelling at her hands. She had these long, thin fingers that tapered neatly at the top. They would have looked delicate and pretty if it weren't for the deadly razor tipped nails and the white blue lightning they wielded. Those hands were meant for conquering. "You used to do that."

She definitely did not remember clapping her hands excitedly about anything, ever. "I'm going back."

"Stay. You'll be bored there anyway."

"Someone needs to be teaching the Avatar firebending, and you clearly aren't about to." She didn't move though.

"I'll train him tomorrow. Aang needs a break. He's scared, you know."

Azula sniffed indignantly. Of course she knew. "Well father isn't exactly easy to defeat. Hence, he should be practising."

"He is practising," Zuko rolled onto his stomach and closed his eyes, "I'll work with him tomorrow. There's more to life than training."

"Like sand castles and lying on the beach?" She replied dryly, but he had already fallen asleep. "You can't be serious." She went around to glare at his face. His good side was pushed into the crook of his arm, and the burnt half was only partially exposed. She bent down to survey the damage. Sure, she'd been blistered before—all firebenders have—but never to this degree. The puckered flesh and dark scar tissue fascinated her. It was the first time she had observed it up close and the first time she wasn't cackling at his unfortunate appearance, a constant testament to his shame and pathetic existence.

She didn't feel like laughing. The scorch bothered him, and she exploited it, like with all his weaknesses. But it was out of habit. Instinct. It really wasn't all that bad. He took it as a sign of failure; she thought it marked him as a fighter, a survivor. Her hand came up, floating above the burn. She didn't dare touch it so she contented herself with pretending. She imagined running her fingers across it, her ghost touch leaving smudged fingerprints on his skin. The scar challenged her. It questioned if she could stand up against Ozai; it asked what she was willing to give up.

"Stop faking, Zuzu." Her hand retreated, "You've always been a bad liar." Zuko's bad eye opened and he cracked a small grin. His arms came up before she could move out of his reach and he caught her in a tight hug. She writhed in his grasp, her limbs pinned uncomfortably. "Get off you deformed cretin!" She managed to free an arm and haphazardly waved around a flaming fist.

"Hey, no bending." Zuko let go nonetheless, and she immediately sprinted towards the house. She didn't get very far. He tackled her to the ground, and she yelped uncharacteristically.

"What are you doing?!" She wiggled free and resisted the urge to whip out her lightning.

He yanked her back onto the sand. "We haven't wrestled in a long while."

"We also haven't been four in a long while!"

"I'm bigger than you now."

"So I gathered. You're like a rhino-pig," she tried to shove him off without any luck, "You're crushing me. Even Sokka isn't this heavy."

"What?" Zuko shot straight up into sitting position. "How would you know that?" The right answer was 'wild guess'. The second best option was that she had either attempted to kick or successfully kicked the water tribe boy into the air.

"We sparred this morning."

"What?"

"Have you gone deaf? We had a swordfight this morning," she didn't see why he was getting all worked up about this, "I didn't actually hurt him. They were those old toy swords from way back when, and I didn't bend at all."

"I need to go talk to him." Zuko growled and stalked off, leaving behind a baffled Azula.

* * *

"…soft skin and a smile so sweet!" Sokka was reciting to a very pained looking Gaang when Zuko appeared on the veranda. "I love you much more than I have ever loved meat. And this love, it burns like a thousand suns," he motioned wildly with his arms, "Together we will run into the horizon. Yours truly, Sokka." He folded up the paper he had been reading from and kissed it loudly. "What do you guys think? Zuko? Thoughts?"

"I think I'm going to be sick." Toph clutched her stomach, and Katara nodded in agreement.

"I think you have some explaining to do." Zuko gripped Sokka tightly by the shoulder and led him to a corner.

"I swear it's not what you think, and whatever Azula told you is a complete lie!" Sokka's eyes darted about, on the lookout for hints of firebending. "Please don't kill me."

"Azula said you two had a swordfight."

"Oh," he blinked dumbfounded, "well that's true actually. We just had a mock battle. Nothing serious. No bending or anything." It was probably best not to mention the part where she ended on top of him.

"Just a plain swordfight, right?"

"Yeah, we definitely weren't touching or anything."

"Touching?"

"…grappling. No grappling. Though she did kick me a few times. Harder than was needed but no complaints."

Zuko's demeanour changed right away. "That's good then." He sounded much happier.

"Yup, everything's good. No problems at all," Sokka chuckled nervously and inched back towards the group, "By the way, I have something else to show you guys."

"Please don't say it's another poem," Toph grimaced, "I really don't think I can sit through another one."

"Wait let me show you." Sokka ran into the house and let out a relieved sigh, glad the abrupt topic change worked. He came out brandishing a scroll, but they were nonplussed.

"Oh good. More paper." Toph quipped sarcastically, "Are you going to read out loud or would you like me to?"

"Ha ha," he shoved the scroll into her face, "you're such a riot."

"The Ember Island players?" Katara raised an eyebrow, "You want to go see a play at a time like this?"

But it was Zuko who protested the most. "Ugh, not them!" He groaned loudly, "My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered 'Love Amongst the Dragons' every year."

"Really?" Sokka momentarily stopped smothering Toph, and Aang quickly snatched up the scroll. "When you say 'us' do you mean just you or—"

"It would mean us as a happy royal family," drawled a honeyed voice. Azula appeared in the doorway and stepped out to join them on the balcony. Sokka instantly tensed up, accidentally bit down on his tongue, and tripped backwards. She stared him down coolly, "Problem?"

"I just can't imagine you doing something as mundane as watching a play," he mentally patted himself on the back for the good save, "I can't believe your mom managed to drag Ozai there each year."

She snickered, "Indeed. Our mother was an interesting woman."

"She was a good mom," Zuko corrected, but his sister only rolled her eyes.

"Maybe to you. I was never invited on those little strolls in the garden or picnics by the turtle-duck pond, remember? Father and I only went to the play to keep up pretences."

Sokka couldn't pass up a chance to taunt the runaway Princess, "Poor Azula. Am I sensing some mommy issues?"

"Wo-ow," Aang exclaimed empathically and waved the scroll around, hoping to divert the conversation, "It's a play about us! I wonder where they got all this information." He nudged Katara for support. "It sounds like fun!"  
"I don't see why not." Katara assented, "We'll just have to try really hard to blend in."

"Alright!" Sokka was the only one besides Aang who actually looked enthusiastic, "But Azula, you sure you're going to be okay? Wouldn't want you to be reminded of your mom and how much she loved Zuko."

Everyone froze. They were all waiting for Azula to drag lightning down from the sky and maybe claw her name onto Sokka's chest for good measure. There was no fire show though. She had no sharp retort ready, no scathing reply; she simply turned on her heels and retreated into the house.

"Nice going stupid head." Toph jabbed Sokka in the stomach. "Now she's going to completely lose it and burn the whole place down while we're sleeping."

Katara was seething as well. "What were you thinking? How could you say something like that?"

"I was just kidding," out of all the things Sokka thought would happen, he definitely didn't seen this one coming, "Honest. I didn't mean anything by it. How was I supposed to know it was actually true?"

"You've been trying to get under her skin from the moment we left that island. She finally started to get along with us, and you just had to ruin it, didn't you?"

"Look, I didn't think I'd hurt her feelings." But what he really meant was that he hadn't expected her to have feelings in the first place. He glanced over at Zuko. "Does her total silence count as feelings?"

Zuko shrugged. This was unfamiliar territory for him as well. "I've never really talked to her about mom. I guess, now that I think about it, they didn't really get along. Azula wasn't the easiest kid to deal with, and she spent most of her time with Ozai." Looking back, he couldn't remember a time when Ursa and Azula weren't butting heads. "Just leave her alone for a bit. It's probably best to give her time to cool down."

"Why don't we get dinner in town and watch the play? Azula can have some time to herself then." Aang had considered going in to talk to the girl, but what with the fear of being electrocuted and Zuko's suggestion of letting her be, going out seemed like the wisest choice.

"Everyone inside. Wash up and change into something that won't get us noticed." Katara herded them indoors, but instead of going to her own room, she backtracked towards Azula's. She braced herself for the worst and knocked on the door. She waited a few seconds, double-checked her water skeins were fully filled, and knocked a bit louder.

"What do you want Zuzu?" A muffled but apathetic voice rang out. "The door is unlocked."

Katara wasn't sure if that counted as an invitation. She pushed open the door, and carefully peered into the master bedroom. With an enormous bed and gold trimmed furniture, it had obviously belonged to Ozai. On the couch was Azula, lounging against spare but comfortable looking pillows. Her long hair had been hastily tied up in a loose topknot, and she had changed into a silk robe, much too large for her thin frame. "Um, it's me."

"So I gathered," Azula did not move, "What is it?"

"My brother is an idiot." There was no reason to skirt around the issue. "He should not have said those things to you."

"How good are you at reading expressions?" Azula stood, letting the robe fall around her feet like a pool of water. She crossed the room so gracefully despite the trailing cloth that Katara could have sworn she was floating across the hardwood floor. "I could not care less what that water peasant has to say. His opinion is of no interest to me." She motioned towards the door, "And neither are yours. That is all."

"The others are changing. We'll be leaving soon. You should come." Katara moved away and boldly took over Azula's vacated spot on the couch. "Please." A flicker of annoyance passed through Azula's otherwise blank face, and her lips pursed into a thin line. She pushed the door closed and crossed her arms against her chest.

"No." Azula suppressed a sigh. Honestly. She should have just locked the door and refused entry.

"It'll be fun," Katara was determined to plod on, "And I really am sorry about Sokka." She paused, "And your mom. I know you don't care but…I really do—"

"Sympathise? Empathise? Commiserate? You are more than welcome to do so outside of my bedroom."

"—want you to come. I want you to come with us." And she really meant it. "We're a team, right? No one gets left behind. Period. So," Katara finished lamely, "please just go see the play with us." Azula didn't respond. "You should probably change though. I can help do your hair if you'd like."

Maybe it was because somewhere deep down, Azula didn't want to be left all alone in the big summer house filled with ghosts and memories, or maybe because she figured agreeing would be the fastest way to shut the water peasant girl up. Either way, she sat down in front of the boudoir and summoned Katara over.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

The girl smiled and stepped behind Azula. _I hope so too_, she thought. Picking up a brush, she gently detangled the hair and smiled into the mirror. "You look so pretty with your hair down. You should have it like this more often." Adding in a few thin braids, Katara hoped it looked Fire Nation enough. "I'm sure she loved you." There was no need to say who_ she_ was. "You guys may not have always seen eye to eye, and she may not have known how to show it. But she must have loved you very much."

Azula only checked out her nails absentmindedly. The Water Tribe girl had such a silly fascination with the mother-daughter relationship. She wondered if it was some odd parallel of Zuko's obsession with honour. They just didn't understand. It truly made no difference what her mother thought of her; it didn't matter what any of them thought of her. Azula would rise up on her own.


End file.
